apron
a·pron / ˈāprən/ • n. 1. a protective or decorative garment worn over the front of one's clothes and tied at the back. ∎ a similar garment worn as part of official dress, as by an Anglican bishop or a Freemason. ∎ a sheet of lead worn to shield the body during an X-ray examination.2. a small area adjacent to another larger area or structure: a tiny apron of garden. ∎ a hard-surfaced area on an airfield used for maneuvering or parking aircraft. ∎ a projecting strip of stage for playing scenes in front of the curtain. ∎ a broadened area of pavement at the end of a driveway. ∎ the outer edge or border of a golf green. ∎ Geol. an extensive outspread deposit of sediment, typically at the foot of a glacier or mountain.3. an object resembling an apron, in particular: ∎ a covering protecting an area or structure, for example, from water erosion. ∎ an endless conveyor made of overlapping plates: [as adj.] apron feeders bring coarse ore to a grinding mill.PHRASES: (tied to) someone's apron strings (too much under) the influence and control of someone.